Connor Jessup, 22, is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Ben Mason on TNT’s Falling Skies. In 2012, Jessup’s performance in Blackbird earned him a “Rising Star” accolade, and he was later named one of Variety’s “Actors to Watch”. (Getty)

Programming Insider

ON THIS DAY
Game show “Concentration,” hosted by Hugh Downs, debuted on NBC in daytime in 1958…Teen drama “My So-Called Life,” headlined by 15-year-old Claire Danes, debuted on ABC in 1994. It was produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, the creators of “thirtysomething,” and was considered a hit creatively. But low ratings and rumors of Danes not interested in returning for a second season led to its demise after just 19-episodes…Celebrity Birthdays: Actor Sean Connery is 86; Regis Philbin is 85; Rock singer Elvis Costello is 62; Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is 55; “Profiler” star Ally Walker is also 55; Actor Blair Underwood is 52; Daytime talk show host Rachael Ray is 48; Daytime soap actor Cameron Mathison is 47; Model Claudia Schiffer is 46; Former “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively is 29.

Did You Know?:
ABC’s “My So-Called Life” aired in the Thursday 8 p.m. hour, facing drama “Due South” on CBS, and sitcoms “Mad About You” and “Friends” on NBC, and “Martin” and “Living Single” on Fox.

WE tv Greenlights “Hustle & Soul”
WE tv has ordered a new docuseries, “Hustle & Soul,” produced by Big Fish Entertainment, focusing on the owner and staff of Brooklyn’s Pink Tea Cup restaurant. “Hustle & Soul” follows owner and head chef Lawrence Page on a quest to make the Pink Tea Cup the first soul food restaurant to garner the coveted Michelin Star, all while trying to manage staff in-fighting, power moves and love triangles.

WE tv has ordered six, one-hour episodes of “Hustle & Soul,” which is expected to premiere early next year. The executive producers are Dan Cesareo, Ken Martinez, George McTeague and Kim Osorio. In-house executive producers for WE tv are David Stefanou and Lauren Lazin.

“Hustle & Soul” joins WE tv’s growing library of series of this nature including “Braxton Family Values,” “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars,” “Growing Up Hip Hop,” and “Million Dollar Matchmaker,” with Patti Stanger.

Comedy Central Orders Series with James Davis Based on His Snapchat Original Series
Comedy Central has given an order to a primetime series starring, created and executive produced by comedian James Davis, host of “Swag-A-Saurus with James Davis,” the cable net’s most watched Snapchat original series, and a regular guest on the network’s “@midnight with Chris Hardwick.” The untitled program, which will debut in January 2017, is executive produced by Davis and Brillstein Entertainment Partners’ Alex Murray and Shawna Kornberg.

The CW to Develop New Drama “Rise”
Three of the executive producers from departing “The Vampire Diaries,” Julie Plec, Chad Fiveash and James Stoteraux, are teaming up for a potential new drama from Warner Bros. TV on The CW called “Rise.” The drama is set in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, when martial law has been declared and will follow a disparate group of people who start to uncover that the attack may have been a cover-up. Fiveash and Stoteraux will write the script and they will executive produce with Plec.

CMT Orders Pilot for Scripted “His Wives & Daughters”
CMT has placed a pilot order for an hour-long scripted comedy called “His Wives & Daughters,” which is described as the soapy and comedic tale of the eclectic and cunning wives and daughters of a larger-than-life country music legend (and infamous womanizer). After his estranged family is brought together unexpectedly, tempers flare and old rivalries resurface setting the stage for startling secrets to emerge as an unforgettable mystery begins to unfold. Casting is underway now with production slated to begin in the fall.

The pilot is created and produced by Dina Chapman and Steven Sessions, with Jayson Dinsmore and Julia Silverton as executive producers for CMT.

SERIES RENEWALS AND CANCELLATIONS

Starz Renews “Survivor’s Remorse” for Season Four
Starz has ordered a fourth season of comedy series “Survivor’s Remorse” from executive producers Mike O’Malley, Tom Werner, LeBron James and Maverick Carter for SpringHill Entertainment, Paul Wachter, Victor Levin and Hilton Smith. Debuting on Oct. 4, 2014, “Survivor’s Remorse” centers around the lives of Cam Calloway (Jessie T. Usher) and his family after he signs a pro basketball contract and moves his family to Atlanta.

Season three of “Survivor’s Remorse” averaged 2.9 million viewers per episode among all reportable platforms, which is an increase of 20 percent above Season two and 60 percent above season one. The series is also a top-4 scripted program on cable among African-American viewers and a top-6 weekend program on cable among African-American viewers.

Travel Channel Picks Up More Water-Themed Shows
Travel Channel is adding 26 additional episodes in its growing water-themed programming genre, focusing on sunny beach destinations, waterslides and off-the-beaten path escapes. Series renewals include ““Xtreme Waterparks” and “Top Secret Swimming Holes.” The network also will expand its “Top Secret” franchise to include new shows “Top Secret Waterfalls” and “Top Secret Beaches.” In addition, Travel Channel’s 2017 slate will include two “Beachin’ RV” specials, featuring vintage campers made especially for seaside adventures.

NOTES OF INTEREST

Ryan Lochte in Talks to Compete on “Dancing With the Stars”
USA Today is reporting that Ryan Lochte is joining the cast of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars” this fall. Lochte, of course, recently made headlines for his false claims of being held up in Rio during the Olympics and, as a result, was dropped by four sponsors on Monday, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren. The 32-year-old said that he and three teammates had been held up by men claiming to be police officers, but it later surfaced that the swimmers had been detained for vandalizing a gas station and urinating on the building. Lochte acknowledged he had been drinking but failed to deliver a true version of events, sparking outrage in Brazil and causing his teammates to be temporarily held in Rio as police sorted out events.

Lochte supposedly had a deal in place to compete on “Dancing With the Stars” before the situation in Rio. ABC will announce this season’s celebrity cast live on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The new season of “Dancing With the Stars,” hosted by Tom Bergeron, begins on Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET.

Casting News
Cheri Oteri (“Saturday Night Live”) has joined the cast of “Those Who Can’t,” the first scripted comedy to air on truTV. “Those Who Can’t” follows the outlandish exploits of the faculty at fictional Smoot High in Denver, Colorado and Oteri will play the school’s new principal in seven episodes.

Season two of WGN scripted drama “Underground” will feature the following cast additions: Aisha Hinds (“Under the Dome”) as Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor; Jasika Nicole (“Fringe,” “Scandal”) as Georgia, an abolitionist with a covert station along the Underground whose quiet confidence hides secrets of her own; Michael Trotter (“Rosewood”) as Biographer, an astute observer of people who lives through the lives of others often fearful of taking chances; and Jesse Luken (“Justified”) as Smoke, the fearless second in command of Patty Cannon’s infamous gang of slave catchers. “Underground” tells the story of some of America’s valiant heroes—enslaved people who risked their lives to reach freedom.

OPINION

Handicapping the new fall TV season
From Campaign US: With less than one month to go before the official start of the new broadcast television season (mark your calendars for Monday, Sept. 19), it is time to handicap the new fall entries. My picks are based on a combination of factors, including the network, time period, competition, lead-in, critical acclaim, social media potential, and the quality of the show itself. I made the selections after spending two weeks in Los Angeles at the Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour, where everything is a proverbial bed of roses, according to the producers and talent.

Don’t worry—I was not fooled by the spin.

With 20 new shows to choose from, my focus this week is on the shows most likely to succeed. And there is no better show to begin with than early critics favorite “This Is Us,” which tells the unique tale of a group of strangers who all share the same birthdays. For more at Campaign US, click here

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

The 29th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will be broadcast nationally Friday, September 30 at 10 p.m. ET on PBS during Hispanic Heritage Month. The awards were established in 1987 and they recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Latino leaders in various fields while celebrating cultural pride and the great promise to America. The 2016 awardees include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Junot Díaz, Actress/Singer Angelica Maria and Latin singer J Balvin. The eventwill take place on September 22nd at the Historic Warner Theatre in Washington D.C.

AXS TV will begin airing the fourth season of former ABC (and upcoming CMT) drama “Nashville” on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. ET. The network will run back-to-back episodes every Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET, with additional encore telecasts following immediately after. AXS TV is the exclusive broadcast home to the first four seasons of “Nashville.”

Kicking off the festivities on October 1 is a “Nashville” marathon, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET with an encore edition of “The Big Interview” following host Dan Rather as he tours some of the series’ most iconic sets, and speaks with stars Connie Britton and Charles Esten.

PI POLLS
1. Should Ryan Lochte be allowed to compete on “Dancing With the Stars” after his behavior in Rio? Click here
2. What grade would you give the series premiere of “Better Late Than Never” on NBC? Click here
3. What grade would you give the 2016 Rio Olympics in its entirety? Click here
4. What is your favorite series based on a comic book? Click here
5. What new network sitcom are you looking forward to the most this fall? Click here

ON THE AIR TONIGHT
NBC hosts an NFL preseason match-up between the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins. Kellie Pickler returns to CMT. “Braxton Family Values” concludes for the season on WE. For the complete primetime schedule for Thursday, August 25, click here

The daily trivia question is below “You Might Like.”

TRIVIA CHALLENGE

Not Movin’ On

Which one of the following sitcoms did not move to a new location at some point during its run?

a) “Coach”
b) “Gimme a Break”
c) “Laverne & Shirley”
d) “My Three Sons”
e) “Too Close For Comfort”
f) They all did

The answer to yesterday’s question…

Henry “The Fonz” Winkler is now featured in NBC reality series “Better Late Than Never.” Four of the following five series also featured an actor from “Happy Days” after the sitcom ended. Which one did not?